Gamel was set to fill in the gap at first base after Corey Hart was lost to knee surgery before he suffered a torn ACL. Gamel, who last played a regular season game in 2012, would have been eligible for arbitration if he remained on the 40-man roster. The 28-year-old was once considered to be a top prospect in the Brewers' system but he has never managed to put it together at the big league level. In parts of five big league seasons, Gamel owns a .229/.305/.367 slash line.

Green was supposed to supplant Gamel at first, but he wound up suffering a left hip injury later in the spring and had to undergo surgery. McCalvy notes that the 27-year-old could still be attractive to the Brewers on a minor league deal because he can play first and third base. Even though Corey Hart wants to return to Milwaukee, the first base position is wide open. Meanwhile, third baseman Aramis Ramirez is heading into the final year of his contract.